


Obedience

by Zinnamom



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Non-Graphic Violence, Season 3 Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 13:47:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4921915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zinnamom/pseuds/Zinnamom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A soul, what good would it do you? It gets into the way at the most inappropriate times.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obedience

“Jack, come on Jack; it isn’t so difficult.”

“Look at me.” 

The Master lifts Jack’s head slightly, so the man can look him in his eyes.

“Do I look insincere to you?”

He holds Jacks face in its place and strokes his hair softly.

“No, don’t go and close your eyes on me. You’re meant to see. You silly humans are always talking about eyes being the mirror of the soul. Or don’t you want to see my soul?”

The Master's tone softens even more, all kindness leaking out of it.

Jack’s eyes open again, staring right into the Masters.

“That’s better; that wasn’t so hard now was it?” He loosens the grip of his hand and starts stroking again.

“A soul, what good would it do you? I don’t understand why you’d want to have it? It gets into the way at the most inappropriate times.”

For a moment the Master is quiet; would the Doctor think he had a soul?   
If he does, he probably caught it from one of his companions.   
Not this one though.

“I bet you think you have one. What is it telling you right now? Does it try to convince you that I’m wrong that it does exist?”

The Master lets go of Jacks head, but the Captain doesn’t stop watching. The Master smiles, pleased with his pet. He’ll have to reward him; maybe he won’t kill him today. Maybe.

“I’ve read somewhere that music has a soul as well. That this is what attracts you towards certain melodies. They correspond with you on the most basic level.   
I’ve never believed this. The essence of music is percussion, all the melodies are wrapped around it.”

The Master notices Jack’s fingers are tapping a rhythm. 

Thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, …

“Yes, percussion.”

The fingers continue tapping, Jack doesn’t avert his eyes. The Masters hand tightens in his hair.

“That’s enough!”

Thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, …

The rhythm never varies; it’s steadfast. Jack keeps watching him. Seemingly ensnared. 

Normally the Master encourages this sort of behaviour but this time he finds it disconcerting.

“You had your warning”

The sickly sweet tone is back if only for a minute. The Master lifts his right hand, in which he holds his screwdriver, and brings it down on Jack’s hand.  
A sickening crunch is heard.  
Neither of them react.

“Ooh my Jack, so much left to learn”

“I told you to listen to me. I even added an or else…”

The Timelord closes in on Jack, their noses are nearly touching and the image the Master has of Jack is limited to his eyes. He doesn’t seem to like what he’s seeing.

The tapping starts up again, the Master pulls back, it’s the other hand.

Thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, thump, tu, tu, …

When he returns his attention to his captive the Captain is still looking at him, a small smile is playing around his lips.

The Master doesn’t like this at all; his pleasure in the state of affairs is rapidly declining.

But he smiles back at Jack, for appearances sake. 

“You’re a naughty pet” he says before plunging his screwdriver in Jacks throat.

A gurgling sound fills the room.

Jacks eyes are still trained on the Master, even in death.

The Timelord slides forward and closes Jacks eyes.

Problem solved.

(The subject of souls doesn’t come up again.)


End file.
